charm
魅力
解説 Definition
charm は人や物の「魅力」という意味です。日本語の「チャーム」は飾りや小物を指すこともありますが、英語では人を引きつける性質を表すことが多いです。
Charm is an appealing quality in a person, place, or thing that attracts, delights, or pleases others, often in a warm or distinctive way rather than through obvious beauty or power.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
charm の中心は、人や場所が自然に人を引きつける「魅力」。ラテン語 carmen「歌・呪文」から「魔法で引きつける力」を経て現在の意味になったので、魅力を魔法のような引力と捉えるとよい。have charm、a special charm、retain its charm を覚え、日本語の「チャーム＝飾り」だけに限定しない。
Think of charm as a gentle power of attraction. Its history connects it with a song or spoken spell, so the modern sense can be remembered as a quality that draws people in almost magically. This does not have to mean physical beauty: a smile, an old house, or a small town can all have charm. Learn useful patterns such as have charm, possess a special charm, add charm to something, and retain its charm. Japanese チャーム may suggest a small decorative object, but in these examples the English noun means an attractive personal or atmospheric quality.
例文
The small town has a special charm.
その小さな町には特別な魅力があります。
Her smile adds charm to the room.
彼女の笑顔が部屋に魅力を添えています。
The old house still keeps its charm.
その古い家は今も魅力を保っています。
charm の類義語・関連語
対義語
紛らわしい語
charm の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語 carmen（呪文・歌）から古フランス語 charme を経て英語に入った。原義は「魔法の呪文で人を惹きつける力」。関連語：charming（魅力的な）、enchant（魔法をかける）。呪文で人を魅了する→「魅力」へと意味が世俗化した語。
Charm entered English through Old French charme from Latin carmen, meaning a song, verse, ritual utterance, or spell. Its earliest English senses concerned incantations and supposedly magical influence. The idea of exerting a spell-like power over someone then developed into the nonmagical sense of attracting or delighting people. From that development comes the modern noun meaning an appealing quality in a person, place, or object. The related adjective charming preserves the same idea of pleasantly attracting others.
同じレベルの英単語をもっと
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